To Turn Tag back in or not??

oldmossback · Sep 12, 2015

My son drew a deer tag he has been trying for 4 years to get. (burned 4 points) Now he finds out he cant take the entire week of 3rd season off. He can only get opening weekend to hunt. Should we turn the tag back in or just hunt the first 2 days and it is what it is? What would you do? Thanks

DW · Sep 12, 2015

That did happen to me once. I told em I had a family emergency and went huntin! Then I became self employed so that chit would never happen again. Can he get it done in a wknd?

Whiterock · Sep 13, 2015

Go hunt.Two days is better than no hunt.My brother took his largest mule deer ever on a week end two day hunt.You sure will not get a buck if you turn in tag and stay home.

oldmossback · Sep 14, 2015

We could turn the tag back in and save the points to hunt next year when hopefully there will be more time, rather than burn them this year with only two days to hunt and risk losing 4 points.

BeanMan · Sep 14, 2015

"to hunt next year when hopefully there will be more time"

You mean you will keep someone else from hunting next year too if it doesn't work out?!

nripepi · Sep 14, 2015

Is this two full days or parts of days? Anyway to get a third day in? Tough call...if it were 6+ points I would say definitely turn the tag in, but at 4 it is a tough decision. I think I would turn it in myself.

DW · Sep 14, 2015

It's a personal decision. Burn em, don't connect and it might be 6yrs + before u draw it again with point creep. I still say family emergency and hunt the whole season.

oldmossback · Sep 14, 2015

Fred, when we applied for the tag back in March, everything was a go. Then life circumstances happen and we are now in this position. We are not intentionally trying to keep anyone from hunting! He will be losing a point he could have gained this year if we had known ahead of time. He most likely wont be able to draw next year now anyway with the points creep that is going on in this particular unit. It will probably take him a few years to draw again.

COLO3D · Sep 17, 2015

I would not turn a tag back in this year, not with the moisture we have received. But, that's just my opinion.

fullthrottle · Sep 17, 2015

4 years of no winter, a wet spring, and El Ni?o. Haha, ya turn it back in. And I guarantee you won't draw it next year. Way to many guys held off this year for next years prime 3rd season dates. This year has the potential to be very interesting.

oldmossback · Sep 17, 2015

He either hunts two days of the whole season or he turns the tag in . Those are the only choices .
If you had 4 points on the line what would you do ?

HalfAce · Sep 17, 2015

Cant tell him what to do, but ill give you my experience.

I had the same situation, only with less points. I was going to turn the tag in because i would only have a day and a half to hunt. My dad said i should just go, so i drove out to CO from CA for my one and a half day hunt. Shot the biggest buck of my life two hours after i got there the first evening right before dark.

Anything can happen. If you know the area, go for it.

zekers · Sep 18, 2015

A good dad would take the previous week off and scout for his son!;-)
I just had a buddy come in last weekend, missed a magazine caliber buck Saturday and shot a 182 Sunday. It's all about the scouting...

oldmossback · Sep 18, 2015

Well I get one week off and that was the week of 3rd season . Put in for the time off 8 months ago .Guess I'm just a piece of ##### dad .

txhunter58 · Sep 18, 2015

What do you do? Sounds like it is time to consider a move. I give people 2 weeks off the first year they work for me. One is unpaid, I don't think anyone makes a good employee if they work 51 weeks a year.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

oldmossback · Sep 19, 2015

I get 3 weeks off per year . We took 2 weeks and took the boys on a summer vacation assuming I would use my 3rd week for hunting . It is my youngest who can not get the time off of school . He has psat test the Friday before opening weekend and cannot miss a week of advanced college level classes and also his coach told him if he missed the first week of wrestling practice he will forfit his varsity spot .
So there is the story . Kinda takes the wind out of my sons sails either way . The school he goes to does not give a rats ass about family or tradition or working around our schedules . It's their way or nothing .

txhunter58 · Sep 20, 2015

OK that changes the story quite a bit. Putting in for a hunt for a high school kid when he has all those things going on puts a different spin on the whole deal. If you want certain things, you play by the rules given you. Sounds like you wanted to change the rules and they are under no obligation to do so.

With that in mind, I absolutely think you should hunt the 2 days. Otherwise, I am with Bean and you took someone elses tag away when you knew this might happen.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

oldmossback · Sep 20, 2015

I absolutely did NOT know this would happen . Missing school for hunting season has never been a issue in the past . I asked him before we even applied if he was committed to going and he assured me yes . Now will all this on his shoulders he is having second thoughts . I am simply trying to weigh his options .
Believe me this is no fun for me ! If I had known this I could have went hunting myself and not delt with any of this .

tailchasers · Sep 20, 2015

Both of my sons wnet through very similar circumstances with school and sports. They were forced to evaluate their priorties with sports losing, placement exams rescheduled, and both took 2 weeks off of school to hunt and fish. However both contacted each instructor for their assignments and exams prior to leaving and both were required to write an essay on the experience then read it before the class.

The school administration gave them unexcused absences and their mother and I both had a direct talkings with the Principle.

Ultimately the choice was our sons and we helped them explore their options and explain the ramifications while supporting their choices. In the end the coaches and school administration were upset but both boys had and continued to have experiences of their lifetime exploring their world and the natural environment.

Either way your child will make the right choice. Just be there to support them... Good luck!!

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."

oldmossback · Sep 20, 2015

Thanks for understand and getting it tail chaser . I will always back my kids at the end of the day but I always hope they choose hunting first .?

happytohunt · Sep 20, 2015

At the very least; hunt the opening weekend.If nothing else, it should whet your son's hunting appetite for more.Who knows?Maybe he will even shoot a wall hanger...you will at least have a trophy memory of hunting ----despite the conditions.good luck...hth

oldmossback · Sep 20, 2015

This will not be his first hunt . He has shot a few decent bucks in the past . He actually is hooked on hunting but torn in what to do .

DW · Sep 20, 2015

Those high school sports only happen once in a young man's life, we get to hunt the rest of our lives. It's a 4pt tag not a 14pt tag. Tell him to keep his shoulders off the mat!

txhunter58 · Sep 20, 2015

>Those high school sports only happen
>once in a young man's
>life, we get to hunt
>the rest of our lives.
>It's a 4pt tag not
>a 14pt tag. Tell him
>to keep his shoulders off
>the mat!

+1 You won't find a more rabid hunter than me, but the last few years of high school have so many once in a lifetime memories. I think the worse thing you can do is make him feel bad if he chooses not to go. Support what he wants the most at this point in his life. I really do wish you well.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

oldmossback · Sep 20, 2015

Thanks guys ! I have left it up to him and he is supposed to think it all over and let me know next week . I told him I am fine with whatever he decides , we will make the best of it .

tailchasers · Sep 20, 2015

Nice thing is, there is really no wrong answer.

"Courage is being scared to death but
saddling up anyway."

WhackNPack · Sep 24, 2015

This was a decision I had to make every year going through high school. Football or Hunting?? Every year the choice was hunting and I can say those memories with my dad will last much longer than if I had chose sports